Undermining Me
by TheWanderingMiko
Summary: OMG WE KILLED AYAME! This is a pairing between Yuki/Kyou and Ayame/Ritsu...NOT Ayame/Yuki.


Shigure smirked when he stepped into Kyo's bedroom, it was morning, the sun was peeking through the windows, and Yuki lay curled up beside Kyo with the cat boy's arms wrapped tightly around him. A soft moan dripped out of the rat boy's mouth as he snuggled closer to his cousin dragging a wide smile onto Shigure's lips, this was just too cute...

"Tohru, Yuki and Kyo won't be joining us for breakfast, they were both up pretty late last night and they're still asleep...", Shigure informed as he entered the kitchen.

She blinked and nodded, tying her apron a little tighter around her waist. Shigure sat down, opened his newspaper, and gave no nevermind to Tohru again as she continued to fix their breakfast of dumplings and somen with leeks and egg. Before either boy came down for breakfast, however, a knock on the door forced Shigure to get up to answer it. He found Ayaa standing outside with both Ritsu and Kagura. Ritsu, as always, seemed nervous and scared. Kagura had hold of his arm, keeping him from returning to the car that was parked in the driveway.

"Ayaa...and Kagura and timid Rit-chan..." Kagura smiled and, releasing the monkey's arm, stepped through the door.

"Is Kyou up?" Shigure shook his head and, seeming a little put-out, she walked into the kitchen, seeming to want to help Tohru. Ritsu stayed near Ayaa, too timid to leave his side, it seemed.

Kyo moaned as he rolled over, pressing his hips to Yuki's gently, Yuki giggled and wrapped his arms around his cousin.

THUMP

Kagura looked at the ceiling then turned to Shigure, "Shi-han I thought you said that Kyo wasn't up...?", Shigure jumped,"he's not...I was just up there, both Yuki and Kyo are still in bed..." Ayaa smiled, "COME WE MUST GO WAKE THEM, I DON'T WANT TO WASTE MY TIME!!!", Kagura fallowed him up the stairs...

Kyo smiled, and pushed his lips over the rat boy's gently, slipping his tongue inside and running his hands down to the rat boy's pants, which he pulled down and pushed his hips against his cousin's,"very nice, rat..." Yuki gasped loudly and giggled, feathering his hands into Kyo's hair, kissing him forcefully before pulling back and licking the cat boy's lips lightly, "we should play together more often..." Kyo smiled, "why? By the way you were screaming last night you'd think I'd hurt you..." Yuki leaned up to him, "it was wonderful...don't worry...", brushing his lips lightly across Kyo's, he let the cat boy seduce him into another tender kiss.

Ritsu followed Ayame up the stairs nervously but stopped at the end of the hall. Kagura hurried ahead but Ayaa stopped to look at the monkey. Ha wouldn't move.

"A-ayaa...I, um, I think-" A loud shriek came from the end of the hall then Kagura's foot broke through the wall following Kyou. Yuki stood behind Kyou,half-dressed, wide-eyed. He was slowly backing away from Kagura when she turned on him.

"Yu-ki!!!" Her voice was beyond dangerous. She was advancing o Yuki when Shigure grabbed her arms and Ayaa walked in with Ritsu.

"Kagura, can you stand _not_ to break my house? Thats the fifth wall you've smashed through since Kyou moved in..." He was joking but Kagura wasn't laughing. In fact, it was quite obvious that had Shigure no hold on her, her hands would be around Yuki's neck. Tohru was the last to come in.

Kyo pushed her off of Yuki, stepping in front of him protectively, Ayaa finally caught up, "what is going on....?" Yuki grasped onto Kyo's hands, huddling behind him as Kagura tried to push past the cat boy. She pointed accusiasticly when she didn't succeed, Tohru watched her, "Kagura-kun, is something wrong...?"

(You did know that Kagura was being held back by Shigure, right?)

(uh....)

Ayaa took Yuki's arm and led him out of the room. Kyou didn't follow. Ayame led his little brother out of the house and back into the woods, Ritsu still following shyly.

"Yuki..." Ayaa said softly, not sounding his usual drama queen self. Yuki said nothing at first, and Ritsu started to speak.

"Ayaa-nii...m-maybe-"

"Why don't you go back to the house, Rit-chan..." Ritsu looked as if Ayaa had slapped him for a few seconds then walked off a little. Until he found some interesting plant nearby to watch contently. Ayaa watched him for a few seconds then turned back to Yuki. "What was that all about?" Yuki blinked. Ayaa sounded more like Hatori than Hatori did.

"Nii-chan, are you feeling okay?" Ayaa sighed and layed his head on Yuki's shoulder. He didn't answer him.

"What was that all about?" he repeated. Yuki blinked. Ayame was scaring him slightly.

Yuki looked at the ground, "it was-", shaking his head, he turned away, "nothing Nii-chan..." Ayaa pulled his little brother back to look at him,

"Yuki, tell me..."

Kyo gave Kagura a sharp glare, pushing past her, he went back to his room, slamming the door and effectively knocking a few pictures off of the wall. Kagura sunk to the floor, slow tears dripping down her cheeks, "Kyo...and Yuki....they were..." Tohru sat beside her on the door, "Kagura-kun...?", no words left the pig girl's lips as she fell against Tohru in sad shock.

"Yuki, answer me...", Ayaa fallowed after his little brother as he walked silently through the woods, Yuki's voice was low,

"no...I can't...."

Kyo sat silently on his bed as a soft knock came to the door, "go away...", he said softly, Ritsu's voice answered,

"Um...Kyo-kun, can-can I come in...?" The door opened slowly and Ritsu peeked in, Kyo didn't look up.

"Kyo-kun, are you okay...? What happened...?", Ritsu asked as he half hid behind the door.

When Kyou didn't answer him Ritsu tried again, even more shy than before.

"K-kyou-kun?"

Ayame sighed and sat down slowly, leaning on a tree slightly. He seemed to be in pain, but his voice was gentle.

"You and I aren't so different, Yuki...you can grudge that all you like, but we are too similar not to be noticed. We act different, different tastes, different styles...but we're the same too..." Yuki looked back at his brother and noticed the snake was looking in the direction that Ritsu had gone in.

"Nii-chan..." Ayame shook his head and looked at Yuki. his gold eyes looked older and more worried than they should have. They closed as he sighed and layed is head back. "Kyou and I spent the night in the same room...nothing happened, we were only teasing eachother when Kagura walked in this morning..." Ayaa's eyes opened again and he smiled. So Yuki _could_ confide in him. Was it that he just didn't like to?

Yuki blinked, Ayaa didn't reach for his phone once. Usually by now he was speed-dialing Hatori to babble about Yuki...Nothing. Just nothing...

"Nii-chan, what's wrong? Are you alright?" Ayame blinked and shook his head.

"Don't worry, it's nothing that can't be fixed..." He'd meant it to be comforting but the words only unerved Yuki more.

Sitting down beside his older brother, Yuki leaned on him, "I- I don't know what this is Nii-chan...I wanted to hate him...but it just turned around and spat in my face...", Ayaa smiled lightly and brushed his fingers over Yuki's cheek,

"we're definatly similar Yuki...this is enough to prove it...", his smile turned gentle, "you're not like most boys Yuki..."

Kyo was laying face down on his bed when Kagura stepped shyly in, her voice was soft,

"Kyo-kun...? C-can I come in...?" Kyo didn't respond until she sat on his bed,

"I don't want anyone in here but Yuki, I don't want to talk to anyone but Yuki. If you're here to ask me if I'm alright or if you're here to yell at or console me, just leave, I don't need it right now..." Kagura looked at the floor,

"Kyo, I'm sorry...I'm so stupid, I've probably gotten you into so much trouble..." Kyo half rolled over and looked at her, his voice was soft,

"I don't want an apology Kagura-neechan, I just want to be happy for a little while...", closing his eye's, he sighed, "Kagura...please leave..." She did so, silently and without a hastle.

Ayame layed his head on Yuki's and closed his eyes. Yuki was thinking over what he'd said so he didn't notice him for a second or two.

"Nii-chan?" Ayaa didn't answer, he didn't move a muscle. Yuki shoved him off and looked at him worriedly. His eyes were closed, he seemed to be unconcious now, but he looked like he was in a great deal of pain too. He looked around for some way to help, but there was nothing. They were too far away from the house for anyone to hear him. Leaning Ayaa against the tree, so he wouldn't fall over, he broke out in a dead run for the house.

"KYOU!!!" Yuki screamed as he entered the yard. Kyou jumped up on his bed, something was wrong in Yuki's voice. Ritsu, who was beside the window, was looking out it with wide eyes. He spoke just above a whisper.

"Ayame-nii...he's not with him!" Both the cat and the monkey were out the door now.

Yuki grabbed Kyo's hand tightly, "something's wrong with Nii-chan!!!", he cried desperatly, half dragging the cat with him as he headed back into the woods. Shigure now stood in the doorway looking as terrified as Ritsu, "Tohru call an ambulance!", Tohru nodded and ran back into the house, Shigure racing after Kyo and Yuki. He caught up with them just in time to help Yuki hike Ayaa on to Kyo's back, Yuki looked scared, tears were falling down his cheeks as he lifted Ayaa so gently you might have thought that he was a small child. They began to run once Ayaa was secure, Yuki in front, Kyo next with Ayame on his back and then Shigure jogging at their heels, Ritsu screamed when they got back to the yard, "Ayame-nii?!" Kagura stood ready on the porch with a wet cloth and a basin of cold water (you can't use warm in the summer), laying the cloth over Ayame's forehead when Kyo had laid him down. Kyo was now holding onto a panicking Yuki, hugging him tightly and letting him struggle to get his emotions out, he was saying something, but no one could hear it. Then the ambulance arrived.

Ayame's eyes opened to look up into his little brothers face. Then Shigure's and Hatori's, then Ritsu and Tohru and Kagura. Finally in the back of the room stood his own parents, watching him silently. As if he'd meant to disrupt their day to day lives with this. Ayaa blinked and sat up slowly.

'What's going on?" He sounded his usual drama queen self only a little more confused than usual. Ritsu came near him timidly, he was watching him as if he'd fall over in a seizure right before him. Yuki leaned forward a little from his place beside Kyou.

"You passed out..." He exclaimed only half-angry.

"Dehydration was part of it..." Hatori said seriously. Ritsu touched Ayaa's shoulder shyly.

"You need to be more careful in this weather, Ayame-niisama-"

"I said that was part of it, not all..." Hatori barked. He was hiding his own worry for the snake. Yuki stared at him, Kyou's arms around his waist.

"What do you mean?!" Hatori looked at him.

"Just what I said, Yuki..."

Kyo glared, "like that tells us anything!", Ayaa smiled at Yuki as he sat comfortably in Kyo's grip, Hatori's gaze fallowed Ayame's and he inwardly gasped, something was wrong, this wasn't right...

~Later~

Yuki sat silently in Ayaa's room as his big brother slept, everyone else had left, believing that they shouldn't disturb him, but Yuki hadn't wanted to leave.

"Yuki, are you in love...?". Ayame's voice caught him off gaurd, he'd thought he'd been sleeping, he hadn't opened his eye's for nearly a half hour now. Yuki looked at the floor,

"I don't know..."

"You probably shouldn't do that in public...", Yuki jumped and turned to see Hatori step into the room, Yuki watched him lightly,

"what do you mean...?", he asked quietly. Hatori wasn't fazed,

"I mean the way you two hold on to eachother, the way he always has his arm around you, the way you turn to him when ever something is wrong..." Yuki looked at the ground, "You aren't like other boys Yuki, you have a responsability to this family..."

Ayame smiled, "that's not what's so different about him...every boy has a responsability to their family...it's his ability to heal Kyonkichi that makes him so special...", Yuki looked up,

"My ability to do what? Nii-chan I don't think that you-", Ayaa smiled,

"I know what I'm talking about...I remember what you haven't been around to see...there was a time before Kyo came to live with you and Shigure...he wouldn't lift his head, he wouldn't stand on his own, he felt no reason or need to live...he said he had no purpose..."

Hatori nodded,

"I think you should be careful about what you're doing Yuki...it's dangerouse to stray into the forest..."

Ayame heaved a small sigh and grinned at his younger brother.

"Remember, Yuki...You and I aren't so different..." Yuki blinked and looked at Ayaa who appeared to have fallen asleep again. Completely disregarding the fact that they were both still there halfway through the conversation with him. Yuki almost got mad but it passed and he grinned at his hopeless, sleeping brother. He turned as the door opened and Ritsu peaked in shyly.

"Oh, he's sleeping...? I'm sorry..." He sounded afraid as he looked at Yuki and Hatori.

"I'm not asleep, Ritsu." Yuki and Hatori looked at him and scowled before heading out. Hatori to look at the tests that had been run on Ayaa earlier, and Yuki to find Kyou. Ritsu was left alone in the snakes presence. He made his way to the edge of the bed and sat down shyly, straightening his long-sleeved Kimono over his knees. He wasn't looking at Ayaa. The snake smiled and reached up, taking a lock of the monkey's long hair in his fingers. Ritsu didn't look at him as he spoke.

"I was scared today..." Ritsu's head was down, turned away from Ayaa now. Ayame blinked. "I watched Kyou carry you back and I got so scared. I wanted to cry. I remembered how you told me to go back to the house and I started to think maybe-you didn't want me to...but...but I want to be near to you Ayame-nii...I want to sit with you and talk to you and eat takoyaki together...and-" Ayame had sat up now and had his hand on the monkey's cheek, turning him to face him. Ritsu's own hand touched Ayame's and his tears ran over both their fingers. Ayame layed his forehead on Ritsus and smiled gently.

*Meanwhile*

Yuki found Kyou in the lunch area, arguing with a cashier about his bill. He was always doing this sort of stuff. The row ended when Yuki walked up and shoved the money (With correct change ~^-^~) into the cashiers hand and pulled Kyou away.

'Damn idiot...doesn't speak a whit of Japanese!" Kyou cursed.

Yuki giggled as he sat down at a nearby table followed by Kyo, there was a band in the corner, playing slow songs for couples to dance to and Yuki smiled,

"Kyo? Would you like to dance with me...?", Kyo looked up, surprised, from his food to see the pretty pleading smile that Yuki was giving him then grinned.

"Sure..."

Kagura saw Kyo and Yuki across the lobby, heading toward the band in the corner then flocked over, fallowed by the others.

Kyo led Yuki onto the floor as it cleared and another song began, slowly, it was a reprized turkish waltz redone in a chinese style, they picked up with the string's section, trip stepping lightly together, Kyo spinning his cousin every now and again. The song was fast paced and they moved laguidly together, Kyo leading Yuki expertly and Yuki fallowing much like a lady would've. Splitting apart they smiled, Yuki spun, his shoes sliding smoothely on the lenolium floor, just before Kyo pulled him back and they stepped again, Yuki's back to Kyo's front, the music came to a false end, picking up with beats and moving Yuki and Kyo lightly, Kyo spun the rat boy out for a second then pulled him back in and dipping him back over his arm just as the beat died to only clapping. Then just as the music picked back up Yuki stood, spun and stepped, letting Kyou lead him gently, spinning with Kyo's arm around his hips and ending flush with the cat boy. Applauds and shouts came, but Yuki didn't hear them as he panted his face a light pink and Kyou smiling down at him,

"good work rat.."

(The song was number 5 on the 'Twelve Girls Band' cd 'Eastern Energy'; I think it's called 'Freedom')

Yuki grinned and pulled back, heading back to their table, and stuffing one of the onigiri that Kyou had ordered, salmon of course, into his mouth. Or rather, half of it went into his mouth, the rest remained in it's semi-triangular shape in his palm. The sound of the rain outside caught Yuki's attention and he looked to see fat drops attacking the windows. For some reason it reminded him of Ayame.

"What's wrong with you Nii-chan? What's going to happen?" Hands touched his shoulders and he turned to see Kyou there.

"What's the matter?" Yuki looked somewhat scared, he shook his head and looked back out the window.

"Nothing, it's alright...Im fine..." Kyou's gaze caused him to continue. "I guess I'm just confused and worried about Ayaa..."

Without thinking about it, Kyou leaned down and kissed Yuki gently, "he'll be okay...he's Ayaa..."

Ritsu was asleep now, his head on the edge of the bed. Ayame was watching him silently, his hand on the monkey's head, when the door opened and Hatori walked in, not bothering to turn on the light. He eyed Ritsu then watched as Ayaa stood and followed him into the hallway.

"Akito won't like this..." Hatori began. Ayaa looked annoyed for one of the few times in his life.

"What? Kyou and Yuki or Ritsu and-"

"I meant these results, Ayaa." He barked. Ayame shut his mouth and looked at Hatori with a kind of conviction.

"Those in Akito's possition never like it when one of the Juunshi is dying..." Hatori's eyes widened and he grabbed a chunk of Ayame's hair, jerking it painfully. This action forced a startled cry from Ayame.

'You knew?! How could you take it so lightly?! Why would you-!" A weak smile crossed Ayame's mouth

"It's only a virus, Haa-san-"

"Ayaa, can't you take one little thing seriously?! Especially when your actions are a gamble with your life!?!" Hatori was screamng at him. "It's a virus that no one has any valid information on! All we know is that...is that-!" He stopped and his eyes widened. Hatori blinked and backed away from the snake. "You want to die..." he whispered. Ayame looked at him gently then stepped past him out onto the third-floor balcony for some air. The door slid closed behind him and Hatori leaned on the rail beside him. "You're not the sort of person that lets depression get to him that easilly, Ayaa...The thought that you'd want to die like this, slowly and secretly...it's surreal." Ayame didn't answer him, his head was down and his hair was hanging over his face.

Ritsu moaned as he woke up, Ayaa wasn't there, he was about to get up and look for him when he heard Hatori's voice,

"You're not the sort of person that lets depression get to him that easilly, Ayaa...The thought that you'd want to die like this, slowly and secretly...it's surreal." Ritsu's breath hitched and he pushed his face back down on the bed to fight yelling out. What? Ayaa wanted to die? But- Why? Ayaa-niichan was so...wonderful...why would he want to die? Ayame's voice came now,

"Don't tell Yuki, I don't want him to think that I'm leaving him...", Hatori's voice sounded again,

"Ayame, that's just stupid...you want to die like a coward..." Ayame smiled,

"I just don't want to hurt Ritchan or Yuki with this..."

Ayame grinned his usual, carefree grin.

"Now, if you'll excuse me..." He walked around Hatori and opened the door that led back into the hall.

"Where are yo going?" Hatori asked angrilly, fighting back his sadness at how lightly Ayaa was taking this. Ayame blinked.

"The bathroom..."

"Oh..." Hatori said nothing after that and neither did Ayaa. When he opened the door that led him back to his room he was a little surprised to find Ritsu was gone. No longer asleep against the bed or in the room.

Ritsu was running as fast as his wooden sandals would carry him. He wasn't breathing, he wasn't thinking, he couldn't even see straight, but he was running. Tripping over his kimono, he dropped to lay on the floor on his stomach. That's when he started breathing; that's when he started thinking; that's when he started crying. Tears welled in his eyes as he thought about what he'd heard. He pulled himself up onto his knees and sank back against the wall, his knees up. He covered his head with his hands and started crying full force. He couldn't help himself. A voice made him raise his head and open his eyes. Yuki and Kyou were standing over him, looking confused.

"Ritsu...?"

Ritsu sat there for a second then collapsed against Yuki, "he's dieing, he's dieing and he's not going to tell us!!!!", he sobbed, Yuki was confused, "who...?", Ritsu sniffled, "Ayaa-niichan..." Yuki stood there for a second, registering what Ritsu had just said, then he ran, Kyo at his heels, catching him just outside the hospital and pulling the now sobbing rat against him.

"Yuki, Yuki calm down....", Kyo said softly as he held the rat tightly, petting his hair as his cousin sobbed against his chest, this wasn't good, just when Yuki and Ayaa had just been getting close...this happened.

Ritsu remained on the hallway floor for a long time. Nurses and Doctors came and asked him if he was hurt, he didn't answer a single one of them. Finally Hatori found him an hour or so after Yuki had left him there.

"Ritsu..?" the monkey didn't raise his head, he refused to look at Hatori. "Ritsu..?" the dragon repeated but again he got no response from him. He was about to shake his shoulder when Ritsu spoke softly.

"You can look for that one person you're born for. The one person you want to eat Takoyaki together with...but you can't find another person like that, can you Hatori-niisama?" Ritsu pulled his kimono closer to him, as if he were afraid the fabric would leave his skin like Ayaa was leaving his life.

"Ritsu, lets go home..." The monkey shook his head gently. Hatori could hardly believe this. Timid, scared, little Ritsu was telling him 'no'. "Rit-chan..." He touched his arm lightly but the monkey jerked it away.

"NO!" He shouted, looking up at the dragon with a scared, sad face. Hatori was wide-eyed as tears rolled down the youger man's face, giving his unusualy femenine features an even more girlish look.

"Ritsu..." The monkey crashed to his feet and ran down the hall.

"No!" Hatori watched as he ran. So he'd heard them...he really hadn't doubted that he would, he'd just hoped...that Ayaa would tell _him_ truthfully and gently in person.

Yuki looked up from Kyo in time to see Ritsu run past him and out of the hospitol parkinglot. Hatori wasn't far behind him out the door. He stopped, however, just outside the building,

"Ritsu!!!" The Monkey didn't listen, he was completely out of sight in seconds. (Fast runner....) Yuki looked at Kyo sadly and, taking his hand, led him up to Ayame's room.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"Come in...", Ayame called from his place in the hospital bed, it was Yuki, and Kyo too, Ayame smiled, "AWWW! EVEN KYONKICHI CAME TO VISIT ME AFTER ALL!!!!", Kyo didn't respond, he was watching Yuki as the rat boy walked forward toward the bed, leaned over and slapped Ayame hard across the face, his voice cracked and Kyo could tell that he was crying again, "you bastard...how dare you..." Ayame watched in suprize as Yuki's gaze lifted up and he saw a sad glare resting on that sallow face, Yuki's voice was sharp, "how dare you think that you can just slip away and not bother to tell us that you're going! How dare you not feel the need to tell the two people who love you most of all that you're not going to be with them for much longer!", Yuki fell the the bed side, burrying his face into the mattress, "...you really weren't going to tell us weren't you...?"

Ayame sighed.

"I just thought-" Kyo balled his hands into fists.

"Stop thinking! Thinking is getting you nowhere you idiot! Look at what you did to Ritsu!" That got Ayame up, his eyes widened greatly.

"What about Ritsu-What happened to him?!" he seemed to have forgotten that Yuki was there. Kyo gave a shrug as he stepped back warilly.

"He ran off!-Where do you think you're going?!" Ayame was up now, pulling on his long, lavander coat over his long, white dressing-gown. His hair was shoved into a messy braid and he slipped on his purpe slip-ons.

"He overheard...I shouldn't have-" He stopped a moment, covering his mouth quickly. He seemed to swallow something then he was moving again. Faster than before. He was billowing down the halls of the hospital and out the doors, Yuki and Kyo in tow, before any of the hospital personel could say a word. He seemed to have forgotten that either of them were there, wrapped in his own love-life. "I shouldn't have been outside that room. I should have gone further down the hall...but I thought...he was asleep and-...Damnit, Ritsu...such a spoiled brat, aren't you...of course, I spoiled you most of all, didn't I?" Yuki recognised the way to Ayame's shop quickly and didn't need leading, so when Ayame stopped short, he kept walking until Kyo jerked him to a stop. Kyo was watching his lovers brother silently, and Yuki turned to look to, his eyes widening. Ayaa's head was down, and he was leaning on a fence. His hand was covering his mouth again and his eyes were wide. They pinched shut for a second and he was up again, acting as if nothing had happened, breezing past the cat and rat quickly.

"I don't think he can make it al the way to the shop, let alone his home..." Yuki said quickly. Kyo Looked at Yuki gently then looked up to watch Ayaa carefully. He was quite a ways ahead of them now. By nearly ten yards. Damn that man could walk fast if he wanted to.

Taking Yuki's wrist tightly in his grasp, Kyo raced to catch up with Ayame, he'd stopped 5 times by the time they got to his shop.

"RITSU!!!", Ayame called as he headed around the building, he found the monkey boy in the back, asleep against the door...

Ayame sighed and sank to his knees beside Ritsu. Taking a lock of the monkeys hair in his hand he pulled on his gently.

"Ritsu..?" His voice was a whisper; A sad, soft, whisper. Ritsu's chocolate-brown eyes flicked open and blinked at the three of them. Ayaa smiled and layed his brow on Ritsu's head. "Ritsu..." The monkey, who seemed to have thought he'd been dreaming for a second, took Ayaa's face in his hands and cradled it gently.

"Ayame-niichan? Wh-what are you doing here?" Ayaa grinned and sat down on his bottom, leaning on the door with Ritsu, laying his head on the boy's shoulder.

"Don't ever scare me like that..." His eyes were closed halfway and he was clutching Ritsu's Kimono sleeve sllightly. Yuki watched them then sat down to with Kyo. Ritsu was stroking Ayame's cheek with his fingertips. Yuki watched them as he leaned back against Kyo. Something, however faint, didn't taste right about the scene. Something was giving Yuki a bitter taste in his mouth, and it was neither the cold nor the couple...

"Whatsa matter, rat?" Kyo asked in a whisper. Yuki gave a shrug and leaned back against Kyo fully.

He closed his eye's lightly, what was it...? Then it slapped him, Ayame was going to die here, in this alleyway with he, Kyo and Ritsu watching him. He wasn't planning on seeing the next morning.... Yuki's eye's flickered open for a second and he saw Kyo watching Ritsu and Ayaa, he smiled, so that was what Ayaa had meant, they weren't so different after all, he, had Kyo where as Ayaa had Ritsu, they were both in love with another boy... He smiled, cuddling just a little closer to Kyo, his voice was soft, "I love you, Kitten...", he whispered as his eye's fell closed and he fell into a soft sleep...

Ritsu clutched to Ayaa the entire night, he knew he was going to lose him and that he couldn't stop it, but something inside him wouldn't let go of Ayaa, so he only clutched closer, hating the way that Ayaa was slipping away and he couldn't save him...

The news was spread the next morning through the Sohma family, Ayame Sohma, year of the snake, age 26...was dead....

End


End file.
